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Looking to join the Fellowship of the Tree People

Howdy,

I'm not entirely new to the idea of a hammock for lounging and just "hanging" around. We used to do it all the time back in Scouts. But that's where it stayed, strictly for lounging. It wasn't until a couple weeks ago that I came across the Hennesey site and then my interest was sparked and I went into to hyper-learning mode. I've been checking out Just Jeff's, Sgt. Rock's, and so many others' pages trying to learn as much as I can about hammock camping.

Well, my girlfriend and I are looking to purchase. After much research we've pretty much decided on the HH Scout for her and the HH Expedition for me. Sorry Speer, Clark, and Mosquito Hammock lovers. HH just seems to be best "bang for your buck."

The question I have is this, has anyone here ordered from Great Escapes Outdoor Sports (GEOS)? Main reasons are these:

Their domain was registered in 2006 and has a real person listed as the contact, not just a holding company or a domain service.
Great Escapes Outdoor Sports
Art Heathcock (ahh@greatescapessports.com)
+1.4799673141
520 Mill Creek Drive
Russellville, AR 72802
US

Truehart:
I am not a HH owner and have not tried one out specifically. They are quality hammocks and well made from what I have seen and what I have read. There is a group hang going on this weekend at Meriwether Lewis Park on the Natches Trace. If you are close to there and would like to see and possibly try out several hammock designs that would be a good place. I will have a CJH NX-200 plus, ENO Double Nest as back up or spare and a Grand Trunch ABES setup. They will be for all to see and try out if they like.

Welcome to the forum. At 6'+ i would go for a larger HH or look at The Warbonnet Blackbird. If you get an HH think about getting the zipper mod for side entry. Look at the HH deep jungle to see what i mean. Alot of folks here who have HH hammocks end up getting the zipper mod and love it. Also if you are within a few hrs of the hang Bigbamaguy is talking about its a great idea to check it out and see first hand before you buy. Good luck

" The mind creates the abyss, the heart crosses it."

“The measure of your life will not be in what you accumulate, but in what you give away.” ~Wayne Dyer

Thank you guys, I really appreciate the feedback. If I were to go larger I think I'll probably go for the HH Explorer Deluxe. We're both kinda on a budget, her moreso. We're just doing casual camping, not the backpacking thing, so weight isn't really an issue. I just like the idea of getting off the ground. So what do y'all think about the Explorer Deluxe?

As far as the Side Zip option, I'm not sure I'd like it or dislike it. I understand it would definitely be easier to make my "bed" and to store and retrieve gear, but I'm afraid of wearing out one side quicker than the other and causing a droop effect. Also, what about the guyline getting in the way?

Thanks Boris. Which HH would you recommend and why wouldn't you choose those?

This is to everybody in general: I'm also 6'-1" without shoes. Would the Expedition be comfy for me?

I have a Safari which is 12" longer than the Expedition and I'm 6'4". I'm not sure what it would be like having 12" less hammock. If I were making the purchase today, I'd go for a DD Frontline Hammock because it's a double-layer hammock which will make it a lot easier to use a pad and also it's polyester which will stretch less than nylon. The Frontline is £48.00 which is about $71 US. Don't let DD charge you US dollars or they'll kill you on the exchange rate. Just leave it set for UK and let your credit card company do the conversion for you.

$142 for two hammocks leaves about $60 for the tarps. You can get a 12'x9'6" Chinook Tarp for $21 or a single 14'x12' Chinook Tarp for $30 from Big Planet Gear. Personally, I like big freakin' tarps. I don't like having to squat or stoop just to go through my pack while it's raining. I also like being able to put two hammocks under a single tarp. If I were in your shoes, I'd probably get one of each so I'd have options when pitching them.

I think that's $194 plus shipping unless I had another math failure.

Boris

edit: Just noticed that they only have the big tarp in stock at Big Planet Gear. If you want the smaller one, you can get it from Rustic Sportsman for $23. Rustic Sportsman has the big Chinook for $32 so you can still get the pair for about $65 with shipping.

We're just doing casual camping, not the backpacking thing, so weight isn't really an issue.

I just saw this! If weight isn't an issue, forget what I said about tarps. You want to get Poly Tarps from Campmor. The cheap blue ones, not the expensive green ones. There's no reason to pay gram weenie prices if you're talking about car camping or short hikes to a camp site.

After clicking on that link, put TARP in the search window to see the other sizes.

Thanks so much for all the advice. I wanted to let y'all know that I ordered my hammocks last Thurs and got them yesterday (Mon) from Great Escapes. They answered my questions promptly and all the items for the hammocks seem to be there and in good order. Still have yet to actually hang and try them, though. I ended up getting a tarp from Harbor Freight similar to the one from Campmor that was 11'x14' (wanted to be able to cover both hammocks) for about $6 on sale. I'll let you know how it all works out.